Dates for Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry were announced on Friday. The elections in Assam will be held in two phases. The dates of polling are April 4 and April 11. The elections in West Bengal will be held in six phases. In the first phase, voting will take place on two dates April 4 and April 11 as the seats fall under the Naxal affected areas. Voting in second phase on April 17, third phase on April 21, fourth phase on April 25, fifth phase on April 30, sixth phase on May 5. The elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry will be held in one phase on May 16.
Counting of votes for the elections will be on May 19
Tamil Nadu, where AIADMK is currently in power, has 234 assembly constituencies. CM Jayalalithaa is likely to face a tough fight in the state from Karnunanidhi-led DMK which is likely to join hands with actor-turned-politician Vijaykanth-led DMDK. In 2011, with 28 seats Vijaykanth became the leader of opposition in the state assembly. AIADMK has got into an alliance with Congress rebel leader GK Vasan.
West Bengal has 294 assembly constituencies. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has maintained that she is confident of winning the elections despite CPI(M) joining hands with the Congress in the state for the polls. TMC contested the last assembly elections in in the state in alliance with the Congress and swept the state. However, Congress may forge an electoral-arrangement with the Left to challenge Mamata Banerjee in the upcoming polls. Left-Congress will not hold joint elections rallies but may not field candidates against one other to consolidate anti-TMC votes. BJP which won two LS seats in WB in 2014 is attempting to make inroads in the Left bastion.
In Kerala, CPI(M) is preparing to forge an alliance with "all democratic forces", including Congress. Kerala has 140 assembly constituencies. Traditionally, Kerala has seen straight contest between Congress-led UDF and CPM-led LDF. UDF scraped past the LDF by a slender margin in 2011 elections. The UDF government led by Ooman Chandy has been rocked by allegations of corruption including the solar panel scam. Left which is pushing for an understanding with the Congress in West Bengal faces cong led UDF as its main adversary in Karala. BJP has stitched an electoral alliance with the newly formed Bhartiya Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS). The BDJS is led by Eazhava outfit Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam.
In Assam, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has tied up with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). They have claimed that the assembly election in the key north eastern state will be a contest between "all indigenous people" led by it on one side and Congress and the UDF on the other. Assam has 126 assembly constituencies. CM Tarun Gogoi fights 15 years of anti-incumbency.
BJP has stitched together a larger alliance with AGP and Bodoland People's Front (BPF). AGP which once ruled the state under PK Mahanta has agreed to play second fiddle to the BJP in Assam. BJP won 7 seats out of 14 in Assam in general elections 2014. All India United Democratic Front (AUDF) won 18 seats in the last elections has emerged as the main opposition party in the assembly.
Puducherry has 30 assembly constituencies.
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